Small But Definite Happiness

In 1986, Japanese author Murakami Haruki first introduced the concept of 小確幸 (little but certain happiness) in his essay "Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans."

In the essay, Murakami described happiness through small, seemingly insignificant experiences such as "eating a freshly-baked loaf of bread with one’s hands, seeing neatly folded underwear in a drawer, wearing a new shirt that smells like clean cotton and letting a cat enter into a bed with a rustling sound." (Korean Herald)

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Last year, for BTS Festa 2018, each member made a list of ten small but definite things that make them happy. After reading their lists, I immediately wanted to make a list of my own. However, the timing just didn’t work out. Between my finals and the enlistment blog I was working on, I never got the chance to work on it.

But now I finally have time! So here it is, an entirely self indulgent blog that no one asked for, almost a year overdue. Enjoy~

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1. Spending time on the swings

There's a small park close to my house that I love to visit. The park has a little swing set which I typically gravitate towards, since it brings back many fond memories from my early childhood.

I usually go near the end of the day, since there aren't as many people, and I also get to watch the sunset! If I'm not particularly busy, I usually end up staying there for hours. Something about swinging back and forth while watching the colourful sky just fills my heart with a really warm sense of happiness, that instantly lifts my mood.

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2. Waking up feeling well rested

Considering the amount of work I get from school and my tendency to procrastinate, getting sleep isn't really an option on most days. However, on the rare occasion where I wake up naturally before my alarm feeling refreshed and well rested, it makes me really happy. It's like my first little victory of the day ^~^

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3. Late night conversations

I really enjoy chatting with people really late at night..well technically morning(?) Now, why on earth would I do this when I value waking up feeling well rested? Who knows? I certainly don't.

Questionable life choices aside, the funniest and most meaningful conversations that I've ever had, have all taken place at ass o'clock. I find that my thoughts flow more freely, at night, and I have less difficulty articulating them to others. Being slightly sleep deprived also helps (aka forces) me to open up more, and those small moments of vulnerability can feel extremely liberating.

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4. Cooking with my mom

I absolutely adore my mother. She's an amazing person whom I treasure immensely. Among her many other talents, she is a great cook. Even though my culinary skills are about as refined as a blindfolded toddler, I still have lots of fun cooking with my mom, and I learn a lot from her.

Whenever I find myself in a slump, my mom offers to teach me how to make a new dish, and I always feel a lot better by the end.

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5. Having tea after a long day

There really isn't much of an explanation for this one. The process of brewing tea just makes me really happy for some reason ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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6. When it rains at night

I love falling alseep to the sound of rain. The lintel above my window juts out quite a bit, so if it isn't raining too hard, I like to open my window a bit to hear the sound better. I just find the sound of rain really comforting.

To be fair, it doesn't rain everyday, so I'm not exactly sure if this one counts as a happiness found in daily life, but it makes me happy, so I'm putting it on the list anyway c:

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7. Sleeping in a fresh bed

Yes, this one also has to do with sleeping, what a surprise! But seriously, there's hardly anything that beats newly washed bedsheets, especially when the warmth from the dryer is still clinging onto the sheets.

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8. Watching the city scenery at night

My grandparents live in a condo, and they have a big window overlooking a busy street and a few nearby plazas. Whenever I visit them, I spend hours just admiring the glow of building lights and the blur from the tiny cars zooming by.

Of course, the massive amounts of light pollution that is produced is less than ideal, but I can't help feeling in awe with how pretty it looks. I know not everyone will share this sentiment since many people find city lights to be extremely cold and artificial compared to natural landscapes. However, something about the bustling city just brings me a lot of joy, and those who know me can probably confirm that I have a weakness for anything city related ^^;

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9. BTS content

The list wouldn't be complete without BTS. The boys bring tremendous happiness into my life. Whenever I'm feeling down, simply remembering something from a recent run episode, or hearing their songs on the street can give me the small boost that I need to get through the day.

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10. Talking with kicklicc

Ah, kicklicc. Even the silly name on it's own manages to fill my heart with so much fondness. I love these precious angels so so much. I'm sure that nothing I write here will do justice to how happy they make me feel, since my words always seem to fail me when it comes to these things, but I'll try anyway :')

Izzo, Roco, and Riipuu are all seriously such wonderful people, and chatting with them never fails to put a smile on my face. Each one of them has a unique sense of humour, making our group chat a chaotic mess, but I wouldn't have it any other way. With each passing day, I find more and more reasons to love them. Their presence brings so much light and laughter into my life, and I'm really hecking grateful I met them.

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And that's all I have for my list! I'm honestly really glad I got the chance to work on this blog. It feels great to ramble about what I love ^^;

Making this blog also made me really curious about other people's happiness list, so what's something small in your life that makes you happy? Let me know!

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Comments (24)

(Weird that I’m commenting this months later lol) I really do like this list and where you drew the concept from. I feel that I should make my own and others should follow; in a way it helps us map out what we should work towards maintaining.

So I’m wondering how this list is doing for you now? Do these still bring you happiness? Do you still get to do them? :purple_heart: (or not if it’s too personal or whatever, just curious as per usual)

Oh, I don't know about that Flo, I'm only commenting when I really like something and sometimes it gets waaaaay too long :flushed:

I must say, however, that since I started to do blogs, the comment field has been one of those sources. I used to have penpals, every letter was a treasure. Now, when I write something , a blog, a fanfiction or other, I really wish to see comments because at times, these comments turns to conversations you didn't expect and there you have another source.

Just a little unexpected kindness can change the entire day. My time on ARA and other platforms, have given me that new , small source. Giving comments that someone appreciates, it's the other side of that source :blush: :purple_heart:

There was a monk called Ignatius of Loyola, he urged people to end every day counting the small glimpses of light brought to you during the day. A smile, a view, a gesture of kindness, that sort of thing. What you brought up in your lovely blog here, is as I said, deep rooted, that means, dear Flo, that you are wise too.

Haha, dw. Long comments are great when they are filled with as much thought and insight as yours.

Ooh, I can definitely relate. The comment section is amazing when it is properly put to use. They offer valuable feedback, and some, as you said, developes into meaningful conversations. Getting even a simple comment can be an instant motivational boost. Also, I absolutely agree that giving comments is another side of it. It always feels really rewarding to give appreciation to those who work hard on their content.

And that's an lovely way to approach life. Counting the small bits of light throughout the day...I like that ^~^

I’m sorry, bUT I LOVE MURAKAMI HARUKI SO IM IN LOVE WITH THIS BLOG SKDNWKDN!

Truthfully, Murakami is one of my favorite authors that scrutinize concepts of metaphysics, so all of his ideologies/concepts and writings are always so incredibly enthralling to read; they’re just so mesmerizing to think about—considering how evident concepts of the subconsciousness are in his novel “Kafka on the Shore” (its litERALLY my favorite book 🥺).

Anyways, it’s amazing that you conjoined this activity BTS did in 2018 with Murakami’s concept of happiness, and reading about what makes you happy was super wholesome and SHDKWKD I JUST LOVE THIS BLOG :revolving_hearts:

Truthfully, I don't know much about Murakami besides a few of his most popular works. However, based on the small glimpses I got, I'm definitely excited to explore further ^~^

Also, your enthusiasm for Murakami's work rekindled my curiosity, so thanks for the unintentional motivation!

Regardless, I'm glad you liked the blog xD Ngl, I was a little hesitant about posting it at first since it is a little different from my typical content, and I wasn't sure if people would like it, or even care. Your comment makes me feel a lot better about this blog, so thank you :purple_heart:

aHHH I’m glad you’re enjoying Murakami so far then! Honestly, “Kafka on the Shore” may seem a bit absurd to some audiences, and a lot of his works are actually seen as quite ‘chaotic’, so I’m rEALLY glad you’re excited about his works so far—it’s refreshing, to say the least!

Your genuine ability to explore concepts without some kind of prejudice has honestly restored my hope in Murakami’s works being appreciated so tHANK YOU

And of course, this blog truly was uplifting to read for a multitude of reasons, and it’s great to hear that you’re exploring things out of your comfort-zone, it’s always super refreshing to do, so I’m really happy my comment made you feel better about exploring; considering how this whole blog made my week LMAO! 🥳 :revolving_hearts: :revolving_hearts:

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